New judicial chapter. The legislators of the state of New York have approved this Friday a law that restricts the use of weapons in public spaces in response to the decision that the Supreme Court made last week in which it endorsed the right to bear arms in public throughout the country. .
The new norm limits that right to “sensitive” places such as theaters, parks, stadiums, spaces where children gather, care centers, zoos, universities, health centers, nursing homes, shelters for victims of domestic violence, worship, hospitals and the subway, among others.
And it also affects private property such as bars, restaurants or residences, unless the property owner expressly allows firearms with a sign.
Both the state Senate and the Legislative Assembly have approved this law, although with the opposition of the Republican representatives.
Both chambers met this Friday in Albany, seat of the central government, after the call made by Governor Kathy Hochul, who assured that she hopes to sign the law “as soon as possible.”
With its decision last week, the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional a century-old New York ban on displaying firearms in public.
The case arose from a lawsuit brought by two private individuals, Robert Nash and Brandon Koch, and the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, an affiliate of the National Rifle Association.
The indictment sued the state of New York for banning the carrying of firearms in public, even though it allows its residents to carry them concealed in the street with special authorization if they claim a specific need for self-defense.
Immediately, the governor described the decision as “outrageous” at a time when the country is facing a wave of violence by firearms, and announced the intention to convene an extraordinary session.
The measures voted on today by the Democratic-majority state legislature also include new conditions for obtaining a firearm permit, including requiring 16 hours of gun handling training and two hours of training at a shooting range, The New York Times reports.
They also establish new requirements for the storage of the weapon in homes and vehicles and penalties of up to four years in prison for violating the measures.
